The Importance of Self-Advocacy

Self-Advocacy is essential to a smooth transition. No one has a greater stake in the outcome of transition planning than the student with a disability. The student should be an active, participating member of the transition team, as well as the focus of all activities. For a young person with a disability, decision-making is complicated by limited choices and the tendency for others to tell the individual what to do.

Too often students are thought that dependence, passivity, and reliance on unseen forces will take care of them. Throughout transition planning, students should be encouraged to express concerns, preferences, and conclusions about their options and to give facts and reasons. They may need to learn how to express their thoughts in a way that others listen to them and respect their views. In order to learn these skills, students need to practice them within a supportive environment. The transition process is a good place to start. Transition planning should be an ongoing opportunity for students to learn and practice responsibility and self-knowledge. Transition is an ever-changing process, and students need to be skillful enough to adapt to the challenge of those changes.

There are skills students can learn to become better:

• Study Skills
• Note-taking
• Organization
• Reading and Listening for Main Ideas
• Abbreviation Skills
• Categorizing

Ideally, children should begin to learn organization and study skills in the early elementary grades. However, it is never too late to help your child develop these skills. Even children who are taught good study skills in school will benefit from your reinforcement of them at home. Organizing notebooks, assignments, time and study space requires constant monitoring for some children before they can automatically and independently apply these skills. While helping your child read and listen for main ideas, as well as take two-column notes, is challenging and time-consuming, it can help make a difference in your child’s success in school. You will not always have all the answers. Your committed, consistent effort counts. Making your child/student more self-reliant in school will help the child become a more self-reliant adult with better self-advocacy skills.

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People learn through different processes that are affected by internal and external factors. Many psychologists and other professionals through personal philosophies and organized research have theorized upon these processes of learning. One such process is the Social Cognitive Theory. Social Cognitive Theory is based on a behaviorism approach, which is very applicable to those with emotional and behavioral disorders

Social Cognitive Theory comes from a psychologist, Albert Bandura. It dates to 1986 and stems from his prior theory called Social Learning Theory. It is considered a behaviorist approach that can help to understand, predict, and modify behavior. This approach therefore is applicable to those with emotional and behavioral disorders. The Social Cognitive theory states that human behavior is full of reciprocal, dynamic, and triadic interactions that link with personal factors, environment, and behaviors. The links between these are often built vicariously and can be used to predict future behavior. It is believed by this theory that one’s own cognition builds one’s reality and as a result everyone sees things from their own skewed perception.  Genetics, sex, ethnicity, temperament, and environment all influence behaviors. This specific theory believes highly in symbols that serve as mechanisms for thought, meaning symbols allow for problem solving and can be used to predict one’s actions. This theory also believes in forethought or the ability of a person to motivate themselves and guide their actions anticipatory. These forethought lead to expectations, which again can influence behavior. Self-regulatory systems are in everyone to regulate thoughts, feelings, and procedures.  They make it possible for us to choose our behavior and actions, and are often guided by morals, social standards, and personal biases. Bandura believes that self-regulatory systems can be monitored by self-efficacy, a type of self-reflection, which again will guide one’s actions and behaviors. Self-efficacy is based on one’s personal history, observation, and physiological state.

Behaviorism principles are based on ideas that learning happens through passive absorption. The social learning theory and the behaviorism approach seem to contrast the other theories and principles the most, but are linked to them with retention of information, rather subliminal or more blatant.

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When it seems like your child or student really needs some extra help, you may look at the possibility of qualifying for special education. It is a process. Here are some of the steps involved.

PREREFERRAL

Prereferral generally starts when a teacher in a general education classroom identifies a student as having difficulties with the curriculum/pace of the class.  The teacher may call upon others like, the school psychologist, other special/general education teachers, school nurses, guidance counselors, or other related service providers, to help them in identifying the child’s problems and see if further evaluation is necessary.

REFERRAL

The referral normally takes place when a teacher seeks further assistance in helping the child get an appropriate education.  It includes a formal, written request for the child to obtain a full and formal non-discriminatory evaluation.

ASSESSMENT

The assessment normally includes background information, cultural questions, language proficiency, learning style, and motivational influences.  There are other guidelines sets up to protect the child’s rights.  For example, there must be more than one test and a review of all information provided about the child.

ELIGIBILITY

Eligibility is normally defined by a percentage of a delay.  Children can find eligibility for different services that are appropriate for their delay.  Some services available to them may be speech therapy, occupational therapy, physical therapy, resource classrooms, special education classrooms, and other school or federally funded programs.

INDIVIDUALIZED EDUCATION PROGRAM (IEP)

Once eligibility is clarified, an IEP will be put in place.  The IEP is a joint effort of the child’s family, the child, a regular education teacher, a special education teacher, and other providers/individuals that the educators/family feels are important.  The IEP must include statements about the child’s present levels, measurable goals, providers/services, hoe the child will obtain goals, any inclusion for the child, how the child will or will not take assessments for student achievement, and the date that services will be provided.

LEAST RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT (LRE)

The Least Restrictive Environment is a rule set up to protect a child’s rights to be educated in a classroom with students that do not have disabilities to the maximum extent, so that those with disabilities experience inclusion in their education.

 

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All individual’s are different, and although it seems inevitable kids will learn about children who are different, it is essential to teach them how to respond correctly. Now most of this is taught through the parents reaction, but when working as a teacher, there is a unique chance for also developing an accepting individual. These early experiences in life carve the way to adults with good hearts. It is important to help the children understand what makes us different and celebrate these differences. It is a proactive way to stop bullying and spread some love. Teaching children about differences is essential in helping to build a compassionate adult who lives wisely with tolerance and acceptance. Here is a unique reference I found, if you want to help your children or students learn about these differences: Friends Who Care

According to there own site,

FRIENDS WHO CARE® is designed to help children better understand what it means and how it feels to be a young person with a disability. This educational program gives students the opportunity to learn what is involved when someone has a disability and how they adapt to live life, go to school, or work as independently as possible.

The goals of the program are simple: to encourage typically developing children to accept their peers with disabilities as people first and also to find ways to include everyone in school and after-school activities.

 

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What is self advocacy?

Developing self-knowledge is the first step in self advocacy skills. Learning about one’s self involves the identification of learning styles, strengths and weakness, interests, and preferences. For students with mild disabilities, developing an awareness of the accommodations they need will help them ask for necessary accommodations on a job and in post-secondary education. Students can also help identify alternative ways they can learn. Self advocacy refers to:
an individual’s ability to effectively communicate, convey, negotiate or assert his or her own interests, desires, needs, and rights. It involves making informed decisions and taking responsibility for those decisions.
Self-advocacy is not a new concept in disability services. Enabling and empowering students to direct their own lives has been an underpinning of federal legislation for some time. For example, the Workforce Investment Act of 1998, Title 1, Vocational Rehabilitation Program, describes the philosophy of independent living as including consumer control, peer support, self-help, self-determination, equal access, and individual and system advocacy, in order to maximize the leadership empowerment, independence, and productivity of persons with disabilities.

How can we improve self advocacy?

There are many components in developing self advocacy skills in young adults who are engaged in the transition process. Helping the student to identify future goals or desired outcomes in transition planning areas is a good place to begin. Self-awareness (self-knowledge) is critical for the student in determining the direction that transition planning will take.

These strategies to help individuals with disabilities develop self advocacy skills:

• Promote the student as a self-advocate
• Encourage the student to be active in the IEP process and other decision-making situations. Assist the student in compiling and developing an exit file. This file should include the last IEP, a transition plan, documentation of disability, recent test scores and assessment summaries, a list of strengths and areas of need, a list of home or work accommodations needed, a summary of learning style, letters of recommendation, and the telephone numbers of service providers. This file empowers the student and encourages self-knowledge. Self advocacy issues and lessons will be most effective if they are integrated daily.
• Respond to students who self-advocate appropriately
• Listen to the problem and ask the student for input on possible accommodations or modifications that he or she may need. Talk with the student about possible solutions, discussing the positive and negative sides. A person who self-advocates should not feel alone. Good self-advocates know how to ask questions and get help from other people. They do not let other people do everything for them or tell them what to do. Self-advocates are assertive. Assertive people tell others what they want and need, but they do not demand they respect the rights and feelings of other people. They talk over their ideas with other people. They ask questions for guidance, and then make up their own minds after reviewing the information. They may have strong feelings, but they try to be objective when making their decisions.
• Identify strategies for teaching self advocacy
• Students need opportunities to practice newly acquired self-advocacy skills.
• Students apply self advocacy skills by calling and requesting information about a service they need for transition from high school. Students can prepare to visit an adult service provider by compiling a list of questions to ask and requests for services.
• Identify examples of self-advocacy objectives on an IEP

Teachers may wish to have students’ role play various situations, in which they can practice skills such as the following:

• Setting up a class schedule
• Moving out of the home
• Asking for accommodations needed for a course
• Meeting with a rehabilitation counselor or social service caseworker
• Meeting with a medical provider
• Working with a personal care attendant
• Interviewing for a job
• Making choices in an IEP meeting

Following are some examples of objectives for an IEP that would promote development of self advocacy. Students will:

• State their rights as mandate under the Individuals with Disabilities Act Amendments of 1997, P.L. 105-17.
• State their rights as mandated under Title I of the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (Vocational rehabilitation) and Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA).
• Be able to access information from the support service staff of the post secondary school in which they have expressed an interest
• State the type of information necessary to self advocate
• Define the terms assertive, passive, and aggressive
• Identify assertive, passive, and aggressive behavior in written scenarios
• State examples of their own assertive, passive, and aggressive behaviors
• Respond assertively in a given situation

Students need specific self advocacy skills for job interviews. Here are a few examples:

• Be prepared: Complete an application and a resume.
• Be alert: Greet interviewer, establish eye contact, and sit up straight.
• Be an interested listener: Show enthusiasm.
• Express yourself clearly: Avoid slang and negative comments.
• Tell about yourself: Describe your strengths, goals, and past experiences.
• Ask questions: Show interest and energy.
• Describe what you have to offer or the types of work you want to do: Demonstrate self-confidence and enthusiasm.
• These are just a few examples of the techniques educators and parents can use to ensure that students have the self-advocacy skills needed to make the transition from school to work. It is important that self-advocacy be recognized as a critical component of transition if the ultimate goal of transition-independence-is to be achieved.